June 5

774-789 plus kearsarge pass 5 miles

In the morning we wake at 5am to get moving while the snow is hard and frozen from the overnight lows.

After a mile or two we have our first significant stream crossing of the trail. The crossing at the trail is a little too fast for comfort, so we climb up to where the creek splits into multiple channels that we can cross individually. Unfortunately we took no pictures of this crossing. The water was freezing cold and it took all our focus to get across. We get above treeline at around 12000 feet and begin our long approach to the pass, encountering frequent snow.

Finally, we get our view of the pass- it is a pass in name only.

It is a massive wall of ice and granite, with a tiny passage at the top.

We can see the avalanche chute from below, but our initial concern is actually climbing to the chute. The lower slopes are completely covered with consolidated snow, and we have to attach our spikes to our feet, and climb straight up the frozen slopes. It is absolutely exhausting in the elevation, and we move up at a glacially slow pace. Eventually we reach the upper slopes of the pass- snowfree switchbacks blasted into solid granite and come to the notorious avalanche chute.

I take out my ice axe and attempt to plant the spike of it into the solid ice, but get minimal purchase- certainly not enough to help me if I slip. The chute is 20 steps, with massive exposure. My heart is pounding as I look straight ahead, control my breathing, and try to shut my brain off to avoid getting frozen in fear. Mercifully, the crossing is quickly completed, and I yell across to amber to take her turn.

I record the crossing, holding my breath as I watch her expertly navigate across.

Relief washes over us, as we climb the final short switchbacks to the top of the pass. 13,200 feet.

The top of the trail. Bliss. Ecstacy. Weeks of worry blow away like campfire smoke in the wind. And then we look down.

We see we have miles of snow to navigate on the north side of the pass. There is a glissade track that plummets 1000 feet to a frozen lake on the north side of the pass. Glissading is the act of sliding on your butt, in a mostly controlled manner, down a steep snow slope while using your ice axe to control your speed. It is one way to get down a slope that would be otherwise difficult to walk down without falling. I go first, losing 1,000 feet in 60 seconds.

It is fun, and gives us a sense of levity after a stressful climb. Amber goes next, bravely facing her first ever glissade. Our next few hours are spent navigating our way into the valley below.

The trail is completely obscured by snow and we catch up to a group rock scrambling down the slopes- joining together for safety and to better scout how to approach the descent.

Included in the group is Papa Bear, a New Hampshire native who previously hiked the Appalachian trail. We have passed each other off and on for the last few hundred miles.

He is one of the most fashionable hikers we know, wearing matching green clothes and gear. After making our way off the steepest slopes of the descent we run into Anvil again, after he blew past us on the climb up, and join him for lunch.We lose 4,000 feet from the pass in our descent.

It is amazing to see all snow melt accumulating into roaring streams in the valley below. It is eerilie warm.

Even up on the pass at 13,000 feet we were sweating and I the sun exposure felt very intense, both from above and reflected on the snow.

At the end of the day we have to leave the PCT to take an 8 mile side trail over another Sierra pass in order to get to a road to get to a town to resupply. The terrain is gorgeous but it is a multi thousand foot climb to get over the pass, 11,700 foot Kearsarge Pass.

Finally we crest the pass and we stumble down a few miles to a small lake where we set up camp. Exhausted, we quickly eat dinner and fall asleep. Today was a quintessential PCT day- high sierra passes, massive climbs and descents, and raging water crossings. I feel very proud of Amber for bravely facing this for the first time.